How to Identify a Refurbished iPhone

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Written by Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: March 10, 2025 Fact Checked

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Checking the Model Number

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Checking the Serial Number

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Video

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Expert Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

This wikiHow teaches you how to tell whether or not your iPhone has been refurbished. iPhones are typically considered "refurbished" when they have been repaired and re-sold by Apple or a third-party vendor after a hardware issue was found in the original phone.

How do I tell if an iPhone is refurbished?

The first letter in the model name will tell you your iPhone's status: If the first letter is "M" or "P", your phone is an original (retail) model. If the first letter is "N", your phone was refurbished by Apple. If the first letter is "F", your phone was refurbished by a carrier or a third-party vendor.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Checking the Model Number

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1
Identify general signs of a refurbished iPhone. You can often determine whether or not an iPhone is refurbished simply by looking for the following signs:
- Worn-out or absent accessories
- Scuffs or scratches on the iPhone itself
- Lack of packaging
It's a grey app with gears on it typically found on the Home Screen.^{[1]
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This option should be near the bottom of the screen.
It's at the top of the "General" page.^{[2]
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You'll see a collection of numbers and letters to the right of the "Model" designation.^{[3]
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See if your iPhone is refurbished. The first letter in the model name will tell you your iPhone's status:^{[4]
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- If the first letter is "M" or "P", your phone is an original (retail) model.
- If the first letter is "N", your phone was refurbished by Apple.
- If the first letter is "F", your phone was refurbished by a carrier or a third-party vendor.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Checking the Serial Number

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If the phone you're buying has been activated, that doesn't necessarily mean it's refurbished; however, this process will weed out people attempting to sell a phone as "New" when it's actually used.
It's a grey app with gears on it typically found on the Home Screen.
This option should be near the bottom of the screen.
It's at the top of the "General" page.
You should see a series of letters and numbers listed here (e.g., ABCDEFG8HJ84). Make a note of this code since you'll be entering it into Apple's database.
Go to https://checkcoverage.apple.com/ in your computer's web browser. You can type your iPhone's serial number into this site to see whether or not it has been activated before.^{[5]
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Enter your iPhone's serial number. Type the serial number from your iPhone into the text field in the middle of the "Check Coverage" page.
Type the code listed in the jumble into the text box below the jumble. This code is in place to ensure that you're not a malicious program.
Doing so will take you to your iPhone's diagnostics page.
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Review your iPhone's status. If the phone is brand-new, you'll see something like "This phone has not been activated" at the top of the page.
- If you verify that the iPhone has been activated and the seller is attempting to sell it as a new phone, consider buying from a different source.

Expert Q&A

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Question

What's the difference between a refurbished iPhone and a new one?

Spike Baron
Network Engineer & Desktop Support
Spike Baron is a Network Engineer & Desktop Support Expert based in Los Angeles, California. He is the owner of Spike’s Computer Repair. With over 25 years of working experience in the tech industry, Spike specializes in PC and Mac computer repair, used computer sales, virus removal, data recovery, and hardware and software upgrades. He has worked as an IT Systems expert for numerous companies, including Huntington Health, Blackbox, Honda, and Manufacturers Bank. In his spare time, Spike also builds and restores computers. He has his CompTIA A+ certification for computer service technicians and is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert.

Spike Baron

Network Engineer & Desktop Support

Expert Answer

The main differences are price and warranty. Obviously refurbished phones are cheaper, but they usually only come with a three-month warranty. A new iPhone is more expensive, but comes with a one year warranty from Apple.

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Question

My iPhone 6S Plus is model NKU62LL/A, so is it refurbished? It came with the original box.

Community Answer

Since it starts with an "N" and not an "M," it’s refurbished. It's not uncommon for a refurbished phone to come in its original box, especially if you purchased it on eBay or somewhere similar.

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Question

I was told that if I press and hold the iPhone home button, something will display on the screen to indicate that the iPhone is high quality. Is that true?

Community Answer

No. That will just show you Siri.

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Tips

If the iPhone was refurbished by a third-party store, you can't use the packaging as a metric by which to judge the state of the iPhone.

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"Refurbished" doesn't equate to "poor quality", and in some cases, Apple devices are marked as "refurbished" due to a small hardware tweak post-launch, even if the tweak in question is a small one.

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Warnings

Be sure to review the sales policy for any site from which you want to purchase an iPhone before actually purchasing one.

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